Sergei Prokofiev / Karol Szymanowski – Fazil Say & Patricia Kopatchinskaja

For this second album on Alpha Classics (following ALPHA885), Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Fazıl Say are not only an extraordinary performing duo, but also composers. They have recorded Szymanowski’s magnificent Myths and Prokofiev’s sonata, written between 1938 and 1946 amid the violence and fear of war and the Soviet regime— “Every note says something about today” Kopatchinskaja emphasizes… but it is Say’s sonata Lost Screams—written for Patricia Kopatchinskaja—that opens this program: “It embodies the struggles, fears, and silent protests of our times,” explains Fazıl Say.

Patkop’s UniSolo closes the album: she sought to create a musical process without knowing its outcome: “ At the beginning it revolves around the note A — Situations then developed from this that have surprised even me,” explains Kopatchinskaja, who concludes: “Composing opens up your ears and dispels any sense of awe. I feel freer, and regard my works as living beings whom I’ve been conversing with for my whole life.”